


In Which Morwen Buys a House

by Bobcatmoran



Category: Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia Wrede
Genre: Gen, gratuitous fairy tale references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-21 13:35:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17044691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bobcatmoran/pseuds/Bobcatmoran
Summary: Deep in the Enchanted Forest there was a gray house with a wide porch, a red roof and a “For Sale” sign hung on the gate.





	In Which Morwen Buys a House

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wendymarlowe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendymarlowe/gifts).



> Thanks as always to my youngest brother, perennial Yuletide beta.

Deep in the Enchanted Forest there was a gray house with a wide porch, a red roof and a “For Sale” sign hung on the gate. 

The current owner of the house was giving a tour to a prospective buyer. “Oh, but you must call me Granny, dearie, everyone else does,” said the owner. “Morwen, I am so glad that Kanikak mentioned you were looking for a place. The Enchanted Forest really is lovely, and you seem like a good, sensible girl, not the sort to stray from the path. I wouldn’t be moving away from here myself, but after that incident with the wolf, my son and his wife insisted, especially since their daughter comes to visit so often.”

“Well, Granny,” Morwen said, taking in the sturdy construction and the well-maintained porch, “I don’t know that I’d say I’m the sort to stay on the path all the time, but I assure you, I can take care of myself.”

“Ah, yes, that’s right, you said you were a witch?”

“Just finished up with my apprenticeship,” Morwen said proudly. “And being in such a high-magic environment does make things easier. Spell ingredients are simpler to get here, as well.”

“Ah, well then,” Granny said, “You might be particularly interested in this.” She opened the door that they’d come through from the back garden. It now led to a bedroom. “One of the previous owners was a sorceress. I think there might be at least one more room behind there, too, but it’s a temperamental door and doesn’t seem to like showing more than the bedroom.”

“Hm, I’ll see what I can do,” Morwen said, peering at the door through her glasses. “Sometimes these old spells can develop minds of their own.”

One of the cats following her around gave a questioning meow.

“No, I don’t think there’s any fish hiding behind that door, Fiddlesticks. Given that it sounds like no one’s properly investigated it in a while, I can imagine that if there were, it would be extremely smelly by now.”

“Oh!” Granny said, "that reminds me, there is a stream just a little ways down the path, safe for fishing and drinking and with a nice hint of lemon. Just make sure to throw back anything you catch that talks, though. There’s been a rash of enchanted princes turned into flounders lately.” 

“Duly noted,” Morwen said. “They’re not the sort of enchanted princes that give wishes if you catch them, are they?” 

“Not that I’m aware of, but I never ask. I know better than to trust anything that offers to grant wishes.”

“That’s wise,” Morwen said. “You can sometimes come out ahead, but it’s tricky getting the wording just right. Any other local concerns?”

“Well, there’s the wolves, like I mentioned earlier. But the local woodcutter can help you out if you have any trouble with them.”

“A woodcutter? In the Enchanted Forest?” Morwen asked, skeptical. “That doesn’t seem like a very wise choice of employment.”

“Oh, he doesn’t chop in the Enchanted Forest, but if you want wood for your fireplace, you have to get it from somewhere. He brings it in a big cart a few times a year. Not sure how he manages to get it past the trees, but maybe they know that it’s just regular, ordinary wood, not the enchanted sort.”

“Perhaps.”

“I’ll give you his card. I know he’s looking to expand his business, since no one who lives here can get their wood locally. As far as other issues go, there’s also the occasional questing prince or third son, though usually all they want is directions. There’s also princesses, who are more of a bother.”

“Questing princesses?” Morwen asked.

“Hardly. Unless you want to call it a quest for a husband. One of the neighboring queens dropped off her step-daughter in the middle of the woods and she came back having met one of those questing princes and marrying the heir to the throne of Vendemeer. So now there’s a rash of empty-headed princesses wandering around, hoping to catch a hero or a prince.”

“Princesses aren’t all that empty-headed,” Morwen mused. “I suspect a good amount of it is their upbringing. I’ve heard the King of Linderwall has a daughter that keeps trying to get lessons in swordfighting and magic. Also pastry making, but I’m not sure I heard that last one right. But it seems to me that even though it’s untraditional, those are skills well worth having if you’re going to be helping to run a kingdom someday.”

“Yes, I noticed that you don’t seem terribly…traditional,” Granny said, looking her up and down.

“Pointy hats make me look ridiculous and they get in the way if you bend over to pick anything up,” Morwen said. “And we can’t all be born with naturally witchy figures.”

“But you still wear the black robes…”

“…which don’t show stains and have nice, large sleeves for keeping spells in. Besides, they’re very comfortable.”

Granny gave an appraising nod. “Fair enough. Well, I suppose if you’ve decided on buying the house, then it’s just a matter of price.”

Granny prided herself on driving a hard bargain, but Morwen was no novice in the haggling department either. 

Granny pointed out that the house came with an apple tree. 

Morwen mentioned that the spell on the back door would require extra work. 

Granny mentioned the picket fence that went around the property, in good repair. 

Except for the section that had been knocked down by a centaur, Morwen pointed out.

Back and forth, back and forth, until a price had been agreed upon. The two women shook on it.

“Well, now, I am glad to have someone as responsible and respectable as you taking over the place,” Granny said. “And if you ever want to look me up, I’ll be in Belltown — best way to find me is to ask after my granddaughter. She’s taken to wearing that red cloak I made her everywhere, and everyone in town knows her.”

“I’ll be sure to do that if I ever head that way,” Morwen said.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic of] In Which Morwen Buys a House](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17973419) by [exmanhater](https://archiveofourown.org/users/exmanhater/pseuds/exmanhater)




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